One Moment
by Confessed4Life
Summary: During a private moment in the river, Kahlan finds herself face to face with Richard... Will this be their moment?


Leaning back in the water, Kahlan closed her eyes as she ran the soap over her chest. It was the first time she had been able to have an actual bath and she had forgotten how much she enjoyed it. Richard had found the small pool and brought her to it, saying that she deserved more, but that it was all that he could give her. He was always doing something for her; always making her feel better when she didn't even know that she needed him to. Thoughts of him began to flood her mind as she lowered the soap in the water. She tried to stop herself, to keep from going too far, but it was too late.

Dunking her head into the water, she tried to drown it out, to keep the release of her magic hidden from the man waiting in the trees. He would come the moment he felt it and she didn't want him to know what she had done. The water moved away from her, the strength of the release more powerful than she had anticipated. She stayed beneath the surface until she could no longer hold her breath, her lungs burning with the need for oxygen. Just as her head came out of the water, she saw him. He was at the edge of the water, making his way deeper as he looked around for her.

Relief flooded through him as she emerged from the water, letting him know where to go for her. The sun was shining down over him, taking her breath away for a moment. She watched as he tossed his shirt to the ground, revealing his chiseled chest. She wanted to touch him, to feel him against her and kiss him like she had always wanted to. He moved quickly through the water, his eyes locked on her face as he came closer. "Are you all right?" he asked, stopping a foot away from her.

Her face was red as she swam backward a little, wanting to make sure that he couldn't see her naked. "I'm fine. I just- I lost control for a moment."

Tilting his head, Richard leaned toward her. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly, hoping that he wouldn't press the question.

"It wasn't nothing, Kahlan, you released your magic for a-" he stopped when she looked away, embarrassed. "Oh," he smiled, "I'm going to go back and let you uh, finish."

"No. You're already here, you stay. I'll go."

Shaking his head, he stretched out his arm, motioning her to stay where she was. "No, you're naked. I'll go and let you finish."

"There's no need," she said softly, swimming backward slowly. "You can bathe here and I will go over there behind the rocks." His eyes fell to the tops of her breasts as they moved through the water. "Richard..."

He looked away instantly, ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's all right. I-" She looked over to him and gave him a small smile. "I..."

Without thinking, she reached out and pulled him against her. Her lips danced with his as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him. She wrapped her legs around him, as she pushed her fingers into his hair. Her actions surprised him, but he didn't stop her. Their kiss heated as they pulled at each other, their hands roaming over their bodies, exploring before it was too late. After a few minutes, she broke their kiss with a gasp for air. Her face was red, her hair tangled around from his fingers. Taking a deep breath, she gathered the courage to look at him.

The moment her eyes met his, he released one of her breast from his hands and moved it to her back, helping her remain above the water. Her legs were still wrapped tightly around his waist, he could feel her heat against him, her need; her desire. "We don't have to stop," he said quietly, knowing what she was going to say. He knew that her mind would be spinning, that she would be horrified by what they had done, but he wasn't.

"Yes we do."

Shaking his head, he tightened his hold on her and smiled. "You already released your magic. If you're afraid you'll confess me, you won't. Not yet." Her head tilted a little bit as she thought about his words, her fingers digging into his shoulders. "You won't confess me, but I will be yours."

A growing smile came to her lips as she cupped his face in her hands. "I can't risk your life, Richard. You mean too much to me."

He nodded his head slowly, "All right, but I'm not letting you go."

Running her fingers down his arms, she watched as the water dripped over his skin, needing a distraction to give her the courage to speak. "I don't understand how you can want to be near me-" she licked her lips and met his eyes. "Richard, I could destroy you in one moment and you're never afraid to be near me, to touch me or even- Right now, like this."

"I'm not afraid of you, Kahlan. I know you- I love you and I- I always want to be near you, touch you. It's always in my mind." He grinned, "Sometimes when you catch me looking at you, I'm afraid that you can see what I was thinking."

"I don't have to," she replied softly as she lowered her eyes to the water between them. "I think about it too. Sometimes, it is all I can think about."

"You won't hurt me."

"What?"

"If we made love, right now. Kahlan, you wouldn't hurt me and it's not because you've already released your magic. I love you. I love you more than anything and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for you. I'm not confessed, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you with everything I am. Kahlan, when I look at you, I know you're the person I am supposed to be with."

"How can you say that when we can never be together?" she questioned curiously.

"We're together now. Just because we are not making love, doesn't mean that we're not together. Kahlan we're together right now. The other stuff, it's not as important to me as this. I want to hold you, talk with you and just be with you." She was losing herself in his eyes, the truth of his words burning through to her. He meant every word.

"I don't think that I will ever be able to understand that."

"Why?"

Taking a deep breath, she pulled her legs away from him and pushed herself backward. "Why? Richard, how could this be enough for you? How can you settle for this when you could have something more; complete. You could have a wife; a family."

"I'm not settling with you. I'm getting more than I had ever thought I would get. Kahlan, the way that I feel about you, I never thought that it was possible. I didn't think that anyone could love someone so much, but it is and I do. I am in love with you and I would rather have you, like this than spend one night with anyone else."

She moved closer to him, reaching out and laying her hand on his chest. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Then come here." His arms were open, waiting for her to enter them. "You won't hurt me, I promise."

Moving slowly, she came closer to him, pushing the water out of the way as she faced her fear. He pulled her into his arms in a hug, releasing a sigh of relief as she returned it. The sun was burning down upon them, growing warmer the longer they held each other. Moving her hand over his shoulder, Kahlan pulled back to look at him. "We should get out of the water."

"Why?"

Smiling, she pushed the hair from his forehead. "If we stay out here much longer, I'm going to become dead weight."

"I'll catch you."

******The End******


End file.
